On Friday night Ed Pawlowski put up on Facebook that he's back in town, and by Saturday morning he had over 700 likes and 250 positive comments. Someone recently said that if he could run again, he would win. Never mind that he was convicted for pay to play, and every contract was awarded on contributions to his political ambitions, not value to the city.
I have no issue with his return, he has served his time. He remains so popular because he empowered a lot of people with appointments to committees and authorities. Those appointments weren't based on merit, but to put together a coalition to get re-elected. I assume many of the congratulatory comments are from renters as opposed to homeowners, who are less impacted by real estate taxes.
I know someone who keeps complaining that we have become a one party town, and suffer from the consequences of that reality...There is nothing about this post that will make him doubt that conclusion.
ADDENDUM JULY13, 2026:As of Monday morning, Pawlowski's post has 1.3K likes and 413 positive comments.
West end homeowner here. Plenty of homeowners liked Pawlowski. I am one of them. .No mayor or candidate since comes close to his capacity to get things done.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I think his focus now will be catching up on lost time with his family for a while, as it should be.
6:43 - Please tell me what he ‘got done’.
DeleteHe raised existing taxes (EIT), created new taxes (LST), sold our water system in a terrible deal that is costing residents to this day, and weaponized city departments against citizens.
He politicized neighborhood groups and youth groups to the point that most don’t exist anymore. He used every legislative initiative and board appointment as a means to increase his own political power.
He claimed credit for the new buildings in the NIZ, while having absolutely nothing to do with the NIZ’s creation.
He was a bully who couldn’t stand even the most constructive of criticism.
I don’t even think he has admitted to the crimes he was convicted of. That’s not because he’s innocent, but rather because he’s a self-centered narcissist of the highest order.
If he is going to now spend time with his family, my preference would be that he does it in another state. Otherwise, he will only use that time to plot a way to again siphon money from the people of Allentown.
@6:43 AM
DeleteYou’re delusional, clearly you didn’t attend the trial, I doubt you even lived in Allentown. Among Ed’s first decisions was the firing of Eric and Betsy, the two people in City Hall who could were reliably honest and competent.
mj adams
Pawlowski was ethically-challenged (to put it kindly) from the beginning. It started early after his election by using city vendors to build the man-cave in his home, using city vehicles for personal business, or just shaking down restaurants for free meals. Over a relatively short time, that morphed into the criminal activity that he was convicted of and sent to prison for.
ReplyDeleteIn a sane city, Pawlowski would be ostracized by the people he ripped off (that would be all of us). Instead, many will try to defend him.
Pawlowski is the Marion Barry of Allentown, and Allentown is dangerously close to becoming Barry’s Washington, D.C.